The American Theatre Wing announced today that the 2017 Jonathan Larson® Grants recipients are Ben Bonnema (book, music and lyrics), Maggie-Kate Coleman & Erato A. Kremmyda (music and lyrics), Ty Defoe & Tidtaya Sinutoke (book, music and lyrics), and Michael R. Jackson (book, music and lyrics). Four prestigious grants of $10,000 each, totaling $40,000, will be presented on Monday, March 6, 2017 at a private event at the WNYC Greene Space. The event will feature special performances of the recipients’ work.
This year’s recipients were selected by an expert panel consisting of director Jason Eagan (Artistic Director of Ars Nova), producer Jill Furman (Hamilton), musical director/arranger/orchestrator Jason Michael Webb (The Color Purple), and lyricist David Zippel (City of Angels).
“The opportunity to provide significant support to promising young musical theater creators is one that we at The Wing hold very dear. These courageous and bold new voices are the future of our industry, and their work will continue to enrich the lives of theater lovers for years to come,” said Heather Hitchens, President of the American Theatre Wing.
The Jonathan Larson Grants, given annually to honor emerging composers, lyricists and book writers, help to continue Tony Award®-winning composer Jonathan Larson’s dream of infusing musical theatre with a contemporary, joyful, urban vitality. Dedicated to celebrating excellence and supporting theatre, the American Theatre Wing awards the Larson Grants to artists to recognize and showcase their work with no strings attached – except to put it to the best use possible to help further the artists’ creative endeavors.
The American Theatre Wing is dedicated to also offering Jonathan Larson Grant artists industry resources to advance their work.
Maggie-Kate Coleman & Erato A. Kremmyda will be receiving a fully produced reading of their show via the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University. This partnership with Northwestern University is a new addition to the Jonathan Larson Grants for 2017.
Finally, Adelphi University Performing Arts Center is awarding both Ty Defoe & Tidtaya Sinutoke and Michael R. Jackson with an evening of performance featuring their work as part of their Larson Legacy Concert Series, which celebrates the next generation of creative artists at the college home of Jonathan Larson, class of ’82, to carry on his legacy.
Past recipients of the Larson Grants include Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (Dear Evan Hansen), Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812), Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal), Chad Beguelin & Matthew Sklar (The Wedding Singer), Daniel Messe & Nathan Tysen (Amelie), Michael Korie (War Paint, Grey Gardens), Amanda Green (Hands on a Hardbody), Shaina Taub (Twelfth Night), and Max Vernon (The View Upstairs).